To be published in Innovations 2009 (USA), World Innovations in Engineering Education
and Research iNEER Special Volume 2009
Chapter XX
Integrated e-Learning – new Strategy of
Cognition of Real Word in Teaching Physics
FRANTIŠEK SCHAUER1,2, MIROSLAVA OŽVOLDOVÁ
2,1
and FRANTIŠEK LUSTIG 3
1
Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Faculty of Aplied
CZ-760 05 Zlín, Czech Republic. E-mail: fschauer@ft.utb.cz
Informatics,
2
University of Trnava, Faculty of Education, Department of Physics, SK-918 43
Trnava, Slovak Republic
3
Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Department of Didactics
of Physics, CZ-121 16 Prague, Czech Republic
Information communication technologies development have made it possible to
introduce Integrated e-Learning (INTe-L) as a new strategy of education of physics
based on the method sciences use for the cognition of Real world. Formally, it is
based on the e- laboratory with remote experiments across the Internet, e- simulations
and e- textbook. Its main features are the observations of the real world phenomena,
possibly materialized in data and their evaluation, search for relevant information, its
classification and storing. Only then come the explanation and the mathematical
formalism of generalized laws and their consequences. The indispensable quality of
this method is the active part the student has to take in the teaching process both in
lessons, seminaries and laboratory exercises, but also his/her substantially increased
activity in form of projects, search for information, presentations etc. In the paper the
strategy INTe-L is presented, the general and pedagogical reasons for its introduction
2
are given. The first experiments with INTe-L on teaching units Electromagnetic
induction, Oscillations and Photovoltaics are presented and the experience gained
discussed.
INTRODUCTION
The physics teaching methods at secondary schools and universities face a critical stage
of their development. Traditional way of delivering physics is used in the overwhelming
majority of physics courses and has familiar characteristics. Most of the class time
involves the teacher lecturing to students, assignments are typically homework problems
with short quantitative answers, seminaries and especially laboratory work are more or
less “ recipes “ style usually only loosely bound to the time schedule of the lectures and
examinations largely based on written exams containing theory and a little of problem
solving [1]. Over the past couple of decades, physics education researchers have studied
the effectiveness of such practices and conceptual understanding, transfer of information
and ideas from teacher to student in a traditional physics lecture and beliefs about physics
and problem solving in physics has been extensively studied [2] [3]. For reviews with
useful citations, see references [1]. The definitive conclusion is that no matter what is the
quality of the teacher, typical students in a traditionally taught course are learning
mechanically, memorizing facts and recipes for problem solving, not gaining a true
understanding. Equally alarming is that in spite of the best efforts of teachers, typical
students are also learning that physics is boring and irrelevant to understanding the world
around them [1].
In all new emerging teaching technologies the nearly unanimous opinion
prevails about their most decisive feature - to remove the barriers for the possibility for
student’s independent and exploratory work in all sorts of laboratories in elucidation of
the real world [1] [4] [5]. The main possibility, without any dissenting voices for this
trend, was to bring about the change in the physics laboratories in the direction of
substituting the “recipe labs” [6] by research laboratories. It is very instructive in this
respect to consult the very instructive and still valid document, American Association of
Physics Teachers (1977) compiled [7], formulating five goals, the physics laboratory
should achieve:
1. The Art of Experimentation: The introductory laboratory should engage each student
in significant experiences with experimental processes, including some experience
designing investigation.
2. Experimental and Analytical Skills: The laboratory should help the student develop a
broad array of basic skills and tools of experimental physics and data analysis.
Computers, when used as flexible tools in the hands of students for the collection,
analysis, and graphical display of data, can accelerate the rate at which student can
acquire data, abstract, and generalize from real experience with natural phenomena. The
digital computer is an important tool for an inquiry-based course in physics because it has
become the most universal tool of inquiry in scientific research. However, computer
simulations should not be used as substitutes for direct experience with physics
apparatus.
3. Conceptual Learning: The laboratory should help students master basic physics
concepts.The use of computers with laboratory interfaces allows real-time recording and
graphing of physical quantities. The qualitative use of real-time graphing in
microcomputer-based laboratories (MBL) has increased interest in using the laboratory to
enhance conceptual understanding. The combination of two factors — laboratory course
design based on an understanding of the preconceptions that students bring to the study of
physics from their past experience, and the continuing development of MBL and other
laboratory technology — has the potential to significantly improve the effectiveness of
laboratory instruction.
4. Understanding the Basis of Knowledge in Physics: The laboratory should help students
understand the role of direct observation in physics and to distinguish between inferences
based on theory and the outcomes of experiments.
5. Developing Collaborative Learning Skills: The laboratory should help students
develop collaborative learning skills that are vital to success in many lifelong endeavours.
Since 1977 till today, the Information communication technology (ICT) and
computers have invaded physics teaching in all directions. The present state of ICT
development is characteristic by reaching the level of the quantitative increase of
parameters that are bringing about very deep qualitative changes. In an editorial to the
recent issue of Eur.J.Phys. devoted to the Student undergraduate laboratory and project
work, D. Schumacher [8] brings the examples of the invasion of computers in
contemporary laboratory work reaching from project labs, modelling tools, interactive
screen experiments, remotely controlled labs, etc., and closing with the plausible
statement “One can well imagine that project labs will be the typical learning
environment for physics students in the future” [8].
The present discussion about new teaching methods in physics is not any longer
directed about the fundamental changes in learning processes due to the new ICT, but
about how to introduce the new techniques to everyday teaching process establishing the
resources of e-learning, curricula, etc.
With this paper we intend to contribute to this discussion, introducing the new
technology and strategy of physics education based on ideas, the sciences use for their
study of the real world – i.e. exploratory, discovery and ICT, the Integrated e-Learning
(INTe-L). First, we want to give the motivation and pedagogical reasoning for INTe-L,
how its components - remote e-experiments, e- simulations and e- textbooks contribute to
its goals, and present the first pedagogical experiences with INTe-L on the examples of
teaching units Electromagnetic induction, Oscillations and Photovoltaics.
MOTIVATIONS AND PEDAGOGICAL REASONING FOR INTE-L
The first motivation of our work was very practical - the decreasing level of physics
education and the popularity of physics subjects among students. Physics is one of the
most formidable subject encompassing primary and secondary schools to technical
universities with a logical consequence of decreasing level of physics knowledge [2] and
hours for physics education. This trend has been in progress for some two decades. The
most probable cause for this state is the way physics is presented to the young generation.
The second motivation and inspiration for INTe-L came from the paper of
Wieman et al. [1], supporting and calling for the change in the educational technology,
seeing the remedy at hand in the existence of simulations. For this purpose, the Colorado
University started very instructive www page PhET [9] with plenty of applets, covering
the usual scope of physics.
Thomsen and his co-workers introduced the new approach called e-LTR
(eLearning, eTeaching, eResearch) using the remote experiments [4]. Introducing the
4
eResearch, based on the e - laboratory, composed of the remote internet mediated
experiments, enabled to fill the till recently missing link of the e-Learning [4].
The third motivation came from our own work exerted during the last two
decades on the computer oriented experiments and remote experiments. We have realized
that the existence of the computer oriented experiments based on the hardware and
software system ISES [10] and remote experiments built on the same system [11] enable
to introduce the new strategy of education conditioned by these new teaching tools.
Let us discuss the possibilities. The traditional strategy of education of physics,
which may be called “teaching of the rules”, based on the teaching of the physics laws,
their mathematical formulations for ideal and idealistic conditions, consequences and
explanation of observed phenomena. Lectures, seminaries and laboratory exercises are
subordinate to this scheme, leading to the rather rigid structure of the roles of both the
teacher and the student, leaving sparse space for the independent and exploratory work of
students. The manifestation of this are the recipes in both the seminaries and laboratory
exercises, where the deviations from the prescribed “trajectory“ is not rewarded but often
penalized. This requires little student engagement with the content, and as in [12] authors
commented, “Students can be successful in their laboratory class even with little
understanding of what they are actually doing”. In [13] the authors suggested that the
recipe lab “omits the stages of planning and design” and it encourages ‘data processing’
rather than ‘data interpretation’. The examinations as the only feedback about the success
of the education are then concentrated on the memorization and mechanical enumeration
of the basic laws and emerging concepts and much less on the creativity of the students.
The complementary strategy of education is actually copied from the method,
sciences use in their cognitive work. We may call it “teaching of research“. The evolution
diagram is quite different from the first mentioned strategy, as it based on the
observations of phenomena of the real world, with the processing and interpretation of
ensuing data and their presentation, search for relevant information, its classification and
storing. Only then come the explanation and the mathematic formalism of generalized
laws and their consequences. The teachers are not bound by strict rules of the teaching
unit; some unveiled problems may be left for the students independent and project work.
For the teaching process is decisive the active participation of students, whose
involvement may be strengthened by dynamical animations simulating the real
phenomena by simplified models. Indispensable part of this approach is the project work,
public presentations and defence of achieved results.
We are introducing Integrated e-Learning with the following definition: INTe-L is
the interactive strategy of teaching and learning based on the observation of the real
world phenomena by the real e-experiment, e-simulations, on the principal features of the
physic laws and e-teaching tools as interactive e-textbooks, on manuals and instructions
providing information and theoretical background for the understanding and
quantification of observed phenomena.
The implementation of such a scheme into the teaching of physics is very
demanding, attainable only with a decisive support of ICT, as now the remote
experiments across the Internet in e-laboratories are available for real world phenomena
observations [14], Java or Flash applets in form of e-simulations [9] for the dynamical
animations and for the required information and theory supply e-textbooks exist [15]
[16]. With this on mind we suggest and already have started to practice the INTe-L and
want to present the first results of the combined effort of several universities in the Czech
and Slovak Republics.
COMPONENTS AND FIRST EXPERIENCES WITH INTE-L
The constituting components of INTe-L are, based on our definition and interpretation of
INTe-L, as follows:
Remote e-experiments
The remote (or hand on) experiments. The technical achievements of ICT enable to build
now Internet e-laboratories – comprising the set of real interactive experiments, globally
distributed, accessible from any Internet connected computer, using the common web
services (as web browser) [11][14]. This educational technology, till recently not
available, enables to introduce the method of complex study of real world phenomena
based on the data collection, their processing and evaluation and comparing with the
models (see our e-laboratory on www.ises.info).
e- simulations
The e-simulations and modelling using both Internet available and home made Java or
Flash applets [17]. They serve for the demonstration and explaining of the observed
phenomena and functioning of the concomitant physics laws. Surprisingly, the vast
majority of applet simulations do not provide data output, needed for the comparison of
real experiments and models. We try to compile for the multipurpose simulation applets
providing the data outputs for the support (or contradiction) of the measured data with the
model once.
e- textbooks
The e-textbook covering the theory, solved problems and exercises, glossary for quick
orientation in the theory covered, multiple-choice tests with immediate evaluation of the
acquired knowledge [15]. Recently, the INTe-L course in Mechanics using LMS
(Learning Management System) MOODLE was introduced using the general scheme of
INTe-L, i.e e-remote laboratory (www.ises.info), e-simulations and e-textbooks [16].
We intend to demonstrate the first experiments in the teaching physics using INTe-L
on three teaching units from quite different parts of physics course, namely
Electromagnetic induction, Oscillations and Photovoltaics. The details about the remote
experiments, their philosophy and their ICT are published elsewhere [11], we give here
only short introductory information. The experiments are running on the server-client
scheme, using normal web pages and web browser and Java support, no extra hw or sw is
necessary on client (student) side. The experiments are unique in available data transfer,
also using the standard web page; the students can choose the range and the time interval
of the wanted data for the subsequent processing and evaluation.
Teaching unit Electromagnetic induction
The teaching unit examines the connection of time varying magnetic and electric fields
into one entity of electromagnetic field, with the focus on the time varying magnetic
fields and the ensuing consequences. The central for this unit is the Faraday’s law of
electromagnetic induction.
6
Remote experiment - Faraday’s law
(http://kdt20.karlov.mff.cuni.cz/ovladani_2_en.html)
The start of the lecture in teaching unit Electromagnetic induction is introduced with
remote experiment as an observation of real world phenomenon, loaded with noise and
other real world phenomena. To demonstrate the Faraday’s law by remote experiment
[21],
FIGURE 1
WEB PAGE OF THE REMOTE EXPERIMENT
FARADAY’S LAW WITH CONTROLS, OUTPUT
DATA AND THE GRAPH OF THE OUTPUT VOLTAGE
AND WIEV OF THE EXPERIMENT BY LIFE WEB
CAMERA
FIGURE 2
DEPENDENCE OF THE AMPLITUDE OF THE OUTPUT
VOLTAGE ON THE FREQUENCY OF THE ROTATION
(RED )AND THE INTEGRAL (BLACK)
T /2
T /2
0
0
∫
ε dt =
∫ NBS ω sin( ω t ) dt = 2 NBS
= konst
(Figure 1) the coil is rotating in the homogeneous magnetic field (view in left top panel)
at the constant but arbitrary variable frequency (see controls for the changing
the frequency of rotation and corresponding driving voltage for the motor) and the
resulting instantaneous electromotive voltage (right top panel) are transferred to the web
page of the experiment. The data, collected (left bottom panel) and the corresponding
time representation (right bottom panel). The web page is supplemented by the text,
providing the necessary theory and resources.
It is worth mentioning that the experiment may be used in different phases of the
lecture (motivation, discussion, phenomenon evaluation etc.). Besides, it may be
introduced in computational lesson and laboratory exercise and also for project work of
students (see the sample of the evaluation from the project work in Figure 2), self study
and preparation for examination and with advantage during the examinations [18].
e-simulation - Faraday’s law
The e- simulation of the phenomenon comes next
in the lecture. For this purpose we use the
sophisticated and very useful applets provided by
the PhET - Colorado university project [9]. Using
the simulations we present the model of the above
demonstrated real world experiment. Here the
students may qualitatively observe and study the
influence of variable parameters of the setup. We
FIGURE 3
FARADAY’S LAW IN ACTION IN THE
COLORADO APPLET SIMULATION [9]
press on the students to examine and verify the validity of the physics laws in “action” in
their seminaries and project work.
e- textbooks
The lesson then continues using the necessary theoretical framework presentation by the
teacher, using the data collected during the presentation. For this purpose the e-textbook
is used, in this case the textbook compiled by the team of Slovak physics teacher,
covering the basic physics course [19]. Students are encouraged to use throughout their
study of physics in seminaries, laboratory work and preparation for examinations. The
major advantage, appreciated by students, is availability across the Internet and its
lucidity.
Teaching unit Oscillations
Oscillations of oscillators constitute one of the most important parts of physics. The goal
of the basic course of Physics in the chapter of Oscillations is to show the oscillatory
movement as a basis of nearly all natural phenomena. The unifying model for all real
world systems then may be the mass-spring system constituting the driven mechanical
oscillator.
Remote experiment – Oscillations
(http://kdt-17.karlov.mff.cuni.cz/pruzina_en.html)
In our illustration of Integrated e- Learning in the practical teaching process the starting
point of the lecture is the remote experiment of the forced oscillations available across the
Internet [20] (Figure 4 and Figure 5). There can be studied both free damped and forced
oscillations and such phenomena as the resonance or energy coupling of oscillator to the
driving force.
Deflection
sensor
ISES
m
ISES
Fv=Fo sin(ωo t)
V
Electromgnetic
generator
V
E
A
C
B
D
Internet
direction
(e.g.)
F
FIGURE 4
REPRESENTATION OF THE REMOTE EXPERIMENT
OSCILLATIONS WITH ISES HARDWARE
FIGURE 5
THE WEB PAGE OF THE REMOTE EXPERIMENT
OSCILLATIONS WITH LIFE WEB CAMERA VIEW
(TOP LEFT), GRAPH OF THE TIME
REPRESENTATIONS AND CONTROLS
8
The transferred data give information
about frequency and instantaneous
value of the driving force and the
instantaneous deflection giving both
amplitude of the forced oscillations
and their corresponding phase. The
usage of the experiment is manifold,
determining the own frequency of the
oscillator, its damping, the resonance,
the amplitude and phase transfer
functions and e.g. the energy transfer
from the source of the driving force to
FIGURE 6
the oscillator. If used in the student’s
ENERGY TRANSFER FROM THE DRIVING FORCE
laboratory,
the
students
are
GENERATOR TO THE OSCILLATOR,
encouraged to process the acquired
ON THE FREQUENCY OF THE DRIVING FORCE, PARAMETER
data and evaluate the requested
IS THE DAMPING (BLUE-HIGHER,RED-LOWER)
quantities of the model oscillator and
discus the obtained results and critically assess the errors of the measurements. In Figure
6 is depicted the energy transferred from the driving force generator to the oscillator,
depending on the frequency of the driving force, parameter is the damping. The students
are encouraged to find examples of the energy transfer in the Nature phenomena and in
technique. Such experiments may be also with advantage used for self-study of students,
during examinations and may be very useful for the part time students, where laboratories
are not a standard.
E-simulation - Oscillations (http://www.walter-fendt.de/ph14e/resonance.htm)
In the simulation nearly identical observations to that of the above-presented remote
experiment may be carried out. Forced
oscillations in Figure 7, providing the
same sets of the data as depicted in
Figure 4 or Figure 6, compiled by
Walter Fendt [22] from the University
of Magdeburg. The Java applet
(Figure 5) provides the simple
schematic dynamic view of the
oscillator; its driving force (red) and
weight deflection (blue) and their
corresponding time representations in
the graph. The adjustable parameters
FIGURE 7
are spring stiffness, mass of the weight
E
XAMPLE OF THE SIMULATION - FORCED OSCILLATIONS
and attenuation with driving force
SEE [22]
frequency.
Teaching unit Photovoltaics
The third teaching unit we present here is the Photovoltaics. Besides solid state physics, it
has at present a strong environmental justification. This unit serves as an example of the
possibility to teach by INTe-L also more abstract, scientific in nature and theory oriented
topics from material science and solid state physics.
Remote experiment–Photovoltaic cell (http://kdt-4.karlov.mff.cuni.cz/fotodioda.html)
As the third example we present the remote experiment Photovoltaic (PV) cell
characterization in Figure 8 and Figure 9. This is a popular real world experiment
interesting both from the physical and environmental views. We have recently devised
the more sophisticated version of this experiment as an example of the possibility to use
remote experiments in Material Science [23]. The students were encouraged to study the
quality factor of the dark current I-U characteristic of the photovoltaic cell and fill factor
of the illuminated device that is decisive for the efficiency of the radiation to electrical
energy transformation. The measurements are straightforward; the focus is then laid on
the data evaluation. The extra variable parameter is then the intensity of light of the PV
element. The students faced no problems with data transfer, but had to cope with some
problems as to the physical phenomena involved and data evaluation.
current I(mA)
0
Uoc
-2
Um
Im
-4
Isc
0,0
0,2
0,4
0,6
voltage U(V)
FIGURE 8
WEB PAGE OF THE REMOTE EXPERIMENT
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL CHARACTERIZATION WITH
CONTROLS, LIFE WEB CAMERA PICTURE AND
GRAPH OF THE I-U CHARACTERISTICS
FIGURE 9
I-U CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CELL FOR
ILLUMINATION WITH THREE RELATIVE LIGHT
INTENSITIES: L (TRIANGLES), 0,7 L (CIRCLES)
AND 0,4 L (SQUARES)
E-simulation - Photovoltaic cell
We use for this unit the excellent applet from ANU in Canberra providing support solar
radiation data for the solar cell devise and its energy output [24]
http://solar.anu.edu.au/EduResources/applets/help/PVguide.html
All three units of INTe-L were delivered for three groups of students of three
Universities - majors in physics, distant students in mechanical engineering and students
10
of foodstuffs. We choose different
major specialisations of students as
their attitude and previous knowledge
and motivation to physics course was
quite different. It is premature to try to
summarize the impact and the
effectiveness of the newly applied
strategy of education. As we found,
the prerequisites for the application of
INTe-L are the carefully prepared
supporting materials, cooperative
FIGURE 10
interplay of all cooperating teachers in
THE SIMULATION APPLET FOR THE DETERMINTION OF
lecture, seminary and laboratory
SUN RADIATION FLUX [24]
exercise and perfect function of all the
ICT.
The students were positively surprised, active and involved. In every case all of
them were given projects topics either from remote e-experiments or e-simulations with
written reports and with some of them delivering their results to the teaching group in
form of presentations. The faculty competition of the best student work in physics was
then organized with excellent presentations. During the examinations both remote
experiments and simulations were used for the interactive communication on a practical
problem with the teacher.
DISCUSSIONS OF BENEFITS OF INTE-L
Among the teachers of physics exists the prevailing opinion for the necessity of physics
teaching strategy change. In their recent paper on the physics education transformation,
C. Wieman and K. Perkins [1] ask the general question “Is there a way to teach physics
that does not produce such dismal results for the typical student?” and give the positive
answer by claiming „By using the tools of physics in their teaching, instructors can move
students from mindless memorization to understanding and appreciation”. Many
educationalists solve this problem by different approaches, many of them by the
increased role of laboratories - either real computer oriented [25], real e-laboratories
across the Internet [14] or virtual laboratories and simulations [17].
We also adhere to the opinion, laboratories and simulations can deeply change
the education in physics, but new strategy, including these new teaching tools, is needed.
For that reason, we suggest the method of Integrated e- Learning and the question arises,
if INTe-L solves the present difficulties in physics teaching and complies with the
findings, physics education researchers bring for the effectiveness of education process
[26]. The prospective methods of teaching, including INTe-L, should comply with the
general piece of knowledge coming from cognitive research that
1. Students should be provided by a suitable organizational structure, based on his/her
prior thinking and experience and starting from their own research results, not simply
pouring facts on them and not addressing the simple questions "what", but rather
"why". On top of this, previous knowledge must be carefully checked and examined
and possible misconceptions dispelled. The ultimate goal in this respect should be the
active thinking, active exploratory work, guided by the active role of the teacher,
conditioned by the double-sided interaction student – teacher.
2. The traditional teaching of “ the rules” brings the excessive amount of new material
that is far more than a typical person can process or learn. The more cognitive load
the brain is given, the less effectively it can process anything and at the same time is
blocked for processing and mastering new ideas. This is one of the most well
established and widely violated principles in education, including by many education
researchers in their presentations. Any new method that should bring remedy to the
situation and maximize learning should minimize the cognitive load by minimizing
the amount of presented material, well organized structure of the presentations and
making link to the already known to the audience ideas.
3. The third important criterion concerns the students and public believes about physics
education and physics importance for the society. If the belief about the purely
abstract and not coping with the problems of the real world prevail, it deeply
influences the approach towards the physics as a subject and the necessity of its
mastering.
How the INTe-L copes with these three criteria? The first above mentioned criterion
meets INTe-L by its starting point, observations, irrespective if it is traditional computer
based laboratory, remote real e-laboratory across the Internet or virtual e-laboratory [27].
The real experiments strongly support the examination of real world. On the other hand,
the virtual laboratories or simulations support an interactive approach, employ dynamic
feedback, follow a constructivist approach, provide a creative workplace, make explicit
otherwise inaccessible models or phenomena, and constrain students productively [28].
The cognitive load in INTe-L is limited by supporting the individual comprehension
processes offering manifold accesses to knowledge and being individually adaptive,
offering significant advantages in the individual rates of teaching progress. Traditional
teaching scenarios cannot satisfy this requirement, particularly because of capacity issues.
INTe-L environments meet these needs. The possibility of making abstract objects and
concepts tangible by application to real and virtual laboratories demonstrates this
qualitative change in education and brings the diminishing of the cognitive load of
students [4].
In the fulfilment of the third criterion, INTe-L brings, are the qualities and skills the
students acquire studying physics courses for their future study and professional carriers.
We tried to cope with this problem in a separate paper [27]. In practical teaching it means
assigning problems that are graded strictly on a final number, or that can be done by
plugging the correct numbers into a given procedure or formula, can teach students that
solving physics problems is only about memorization and coming up with a correct
number—reasoning and seeing if the answer makes sense are irrelevant. The good news
is that courses with rather modest changes to explicitly address student beliefs have
avoided the usual negative shifts. Those changes include introducing the physics ideas in
terms of real-world situations or devices with which the students are familiar; recasting
homework and exam problems into a form in which the answer is of some obvious utility
rather than an abstract number; and making reasoning, sense-making, and reflecting
explicit parts of in-class activities, homework, and exams [1].
The easier access of majorities and disabled to the physics education is also
contributing, including globalisation features. Technologies are a prerequisite for the
continuous integration of internationalised studies: transparency of course content forms
12
the basis for the international recognition of academic achievements, eases the
formulation of rules of acknowledgement for studies in foreign countries, making a stay
abroad considerably easier to manage and realise. Geographical proximity, previously a
prerequisite for intensive cooperation, is diminishing in impact.
Application of new media and new technologies has resulted in a significant impact
on research. Today ICT is the technical foundation to access scientific sources and data.
Interdisciplinary questions are getting more important and the possibility for
interdisciplinary communication and cooperation plays a significant role.
SUGGESTION FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
The examination of the effectiveness of INTe-L is under way. For this purpose we apply
standard pedagogical methods of inquiry and questionnaire, the log in protocols in remote
experiments and the records of remote experiments measurements.
Our ultimate goal is to prepare the basic physics course curriculum with the above
mentioned scheme, using the remote e-experiments, e- simulations and e-textbook. For
this the corresponding set of remote experiments is prepared [29] “ Standing waves in the
resonator“, “ Mathematical forced oscillations”, “ Oscillations in RCL circuits”, “
Magnetic field generation and mapping”, “ Electrochemical sources of energy”, “ Free
fall in gasses and liquids” to those already functioning “ Controlling of the liquid level “,“
Monitoring the environment in Prague “,“The electromagnetic induction “,“ The forced
mechanical oscillator”,“ Diffraction of microobjects”,“ Heisenberg principle of
uncertainty”, “Characterization of the photovoltaic device”.
The great advantage seems the necessary support of the University authorities and the
Accreditation commission for these activities. The infrastructure of the teaching process
must be changed accordingly, the whole potential offered by the INTe-L only if it is
embedded in the academic structure.
CONCLUSIONS
Our long lasting activities in the computer based laboratory system software and
hardware system ISES exploitation [25], remote e-laboratories building using ISES [29],
together with the stimulating activities on transformation of physics education elsewhere
[1] [4] gave rise to our incentives to devise and suggest the strategy of education INTe-L
that may positively influence teaching of physics.
In general, the INTe-L complies with the general criteria physics education
researchers suggest for the effectiveness of education process
- suitable organizational structure, based on his/her prior thinking and experience,
- it reduces the cognitive load by supporting the individual comprehension
processes offering manifold accesses to knowledge and being individually
adaptive,
- it positively addresses the students and public believes about physics education
and physics importance for the society.
The INTe-L , as new strategy of education, calls for deep changes in the University life as
the infrastructure of the teaching process must be changed accordingly as the exploitation
of the whole potential offered by the INTe-L may be employed only if it is embedded in
the academic structure.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors acknowledge the support of the following projects: Grant of the Ministry of
Education of the Czech Republic project “E-laboratory of remote interactive physics
experiments”, 2007, and Grant of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic
KEGA, project N 3/4128/06 „E- laboratory of interactive experiments as a continuation
of the project of multimedia education at the Slovak Universities “ 2006-2008 and VEGA
No 1/0332/08 “Globally available natural sciences experiments as a constituent part of
Integrated e-Learning” are acknowledged. Also the Czech-Chinese project 1P05ME735
support is acknowledged 2005- 2008. The partial support of the Ministry of Education,
Czech Republic, for providing financial support to carry out this research (Grant No.
MSM 7088352101), the photovoltaic part of the work is also acknowledged.
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2005, pp. 26-41.
L. C. McDermott and E. F. Redish, “Resource Letter: PER-1: Physics Education Research,”
Am. J. Phys. Vol. 67, No. 9, 1999, p. 755.
W. K. Adams, K. K. Perkins, N. S. Podolefsky, M. Dubson, N. D. Finkelstein, and C. E.
Wieman, “New instrument for measuring student beliefs about physics and learning physics:
The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey,” Phys. Rev. Spec. Topics Phys.Educ.Res. Vol. 2, 2006. 010101.
C. Thomsen, S. Jeschke, O. Pfeiffer and R. Seiler, “e-Volution: eLTR - Technologies and
Their Impact on Traditional Universities,” Proceedings of the Conference: EDUCA online,
ISWE GmBH, Berlin 2005.
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Education ,” J. Eng. Educ. Vol. 93, 2005, p. 121.
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Physics Teaching”, Wiley, New York, 1990. (also available at
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special issue, Eur. J. Phys. Vol. 28 No 5, 2007, Editorial in a Special Issue
see also http://phet.colorado.edu/new/index.php.
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Computer Data Collection and Evaluation Exemplified on the Intelligent School
Experimental System (ISES) ,” in Innovations 2006, (USA), World Innovations in
Engineering Education and Research, iNEER Special Volume 2006, 2006. pp. 305-312,
ISBN 0-9741252-5-3.
M. Ožvoldová, P. Čerňanský, F. Schauer and F. Lustig, “Internet Remote Physics
Experiments in a Student Laboratory, in Innovations 2006 (USA), World Innovations in
Engineering Education and Research iNEER Special Volume 2006, Virginia, USA, pp. 297305, ISBN 0-9741252-5-3.
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investigatory laboratory work, University Chemistry Education, Vol. 4, 2000, pp. 14-17.
S. Gröber Vetter M., Eckert B. and H. J. Jodl,” Experimenting from a Distance – Remotely
Controlled Laboratory (RCL),” Eur. J. Phys.Vol. 28, No. 5, 2007, p. 127.
M. Ožvoldová, I. Červeň, J. Dillinger, S. Halúsková, V. Laurinc, O. Holá, V. Fedorko, I.
Štubňa, D. Jedinák, M. Beňo,”Multimediálna vysokoškolská učebnica fyziky, časť 1,
Trnavská univerzita, PdF, 2007, CD - ISBN 978-80-8082-127-2 .
INTe-L MOODLE course in in the Faculty of Informatics, Tomas Bata University in Zlin
2008, see F. Schauer : Mechanics, http://vyuka.fai.utb.cz/course/view.php?id=112 + Fyzika
0-Info.
C. Wieman and K. Perkins.”A powerful tool for teaching science,” Nature physics, Vol. 2,
2006 p. 290.
F.Schauer, M.Ozvoldova, F.Lustig and M.Dekar, “Real Remote Mass-Spring Laboratory
Experiments across Internet-Inherent Part of Integrated E- Learning of Oscillations”,
International Journal of Online Engineering (iJOE) Vol. 4, No.2, 2008, pp. 52-55.
M. Ožvoldová, P. Černanský, I. Červeň, J. Budinský J. and R. Riedlmajer,“ Introduction into
Engineering Physics-a Multimedia CD Tool for Students Entering the Slovak Engineering
Universities,” Innovation 2006, World Innovations in Engineering Education and Research,
iNEER Special Volume2006, Virginia, USA, pp. 228 –234, ISBN 0-9741252-5-3.
F. Schauer and F. Lustig, M. Ožvoldová,” E-remote laboratory” www.ises.info or http://kdt20.karlov.mff.cuni.cz/ovladani_2_en.html
F. Schauer and F. Lustig, M. Ožvoldová,” E-remote laboratory”, www.ises.info or http://kdt17.karlov.mff.cuni.cz/pruzina_en.html.
W. Fendt, http://www.walter-fendt.de/ph14e/resonance.htm.
F. Schauer, F. Lustig and M. Ožvoldová,”Remote material science internet experiments
exemplified on solid state photovoltaic cell characterization”, Journal of Materials
Education, Vol. 29, No. 3-4, 2007 pp. 193-200.
see. http://solar.anu.edu.au/EduResources/applets/help/PVguide.html
F. Schauer, F. Lustig, J. Dvořák and M. Ožvoldová,“An easy-to-build remote laboratory with
Data Transfer Using the Internet School Experimenta l System,“ Eur.J.Phys”, Vol. 29, 2008,
pp. 753-765.
R. Mayer, “Learning and Instruction,” Merrill, Upper Saddle River, NJ (2003).
F. Lustig, F. Schauer, M.Ožvoldová, “E-Labs in Engineering Education : Classical, Real
Remote or Virtual? “In Proceedings of the Conference ICTE 2007. Publ. University of
Ostrava, 2007. ISBN 978-80-7368-388-7, p. 107-116. 17.9.2007, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm.
N. D. Finkelstein, W. Adams, C. Keller, K. Perkins, C. Wieman and the PhET Team, “ HighTech Tools for Teaching Physics: the Physics Education Technology Project,” MERLOT
Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, Vol. 2, No. 3, September 2006, p. 109.
F. Schauer, M. Ožvoldová, P. Čerňanský, T. Kozík, L. Válková, A.Slaninka, M. Žovínová,
P.Majerčík and L. Tkáč,“ Slovak e-Laboratory of remoteinteractive experiments for
University teaching by Integrated e-Learning strategy,” in Proceedings of 6th Int. Conference
on Emerging e- Learning Technologies and Applications, The High Tatras, Slovakia,
September 11-13, 2008, CD.
František Schauer received the M.S. degree in Electronics from the Brno
University of Technology in 1963 and his Ph.D. degree in Solid State Physics from
Prague University of Technology in 1978. In 1982 he was appointed Associate
Professor and in 1988 Professor in Condensed Matter Physics at the Technical
Academy in Brno. In 1993-2002 he was with the Faculty of Chemistry, Brno
University of Technology and since then he has been with the Polymer Centre of the
Faculty of Technology and Faculty of Informatics, Tomas Bata University in Zlin.
His main activities are molecular electronics, computer assisted experiments, and elearning in physics teaching.
Miroslava Ožvoldová Received her M.S. degrees in Physics from Comenius
University in Bratislava, Slovakia, in 1973, and 1981 a Ph.D Physics-Mathematics
Science. In 1992 she was appointed Associate Professor, and in 2002 Extraord.
Professor at the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, Slovak
University of Technology in Bratislava. Since 2003 she has been active at the
University of Trnava, Faculty of Education.Since 2008 she is also with Faculty of
Informatics, Tomas Bata University in Zlin. Her main activities are optical properties
of chalcogenide and heavy metal optonic glasses and e-learning in Physics teaching.
František Lustig received his M.S. degree in Didactics of Physics from the Charles
University in Prague in 1976. He received his Ph.D. degree in Plasma Physics from
the Charles University in Prague in 1986. In 2005 he was appointed Associate
Professor in Didactics of Physics. He is the author of ISES (Internet School
Experimental System) and iSES (internet School Experimental Studio). His main
activities are computer-aided experiments, remote laboratories and videoconferences
from experimental laboratory.